


I Think You Like Getting Beat Up

by AfternoonDelight



Series: Stucky [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Female Steve Rogers, Flashbacks, Fluff, Heartache, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Mild Smut, Mutual Pining, Post-Recovery Bucky Barnes, Slow Build, Swearing, True Love, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2018-11-02 16:17:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 27
Words: 19,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10948158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AfternoonDelight/pseuds/AfternoonDelight
Summary: “Sometimes, I think you like getting beat up...”





	1. Under The Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Sometimes, I think you like getting beat up...”_

_“Sometimes, I think you like getting beat up...”_

Strangely, those are the first words Eve hears running through her mind when she wakes up. She sees a flash of his brilliant smile, the one that (secretly) always made her weak in the knees and let’s out a rather depressed huff when the image vanishes and all she’s left with is the harsh reality.

The nurse is friendly and also good attention to detail, Eve briefly thinks before everything gets a little too out of control. Before she knows it, she’s running through the streets of New York, only everything is completely different, she barely recognises a thing.

“At ease, soldier.”

Eve barely registers him for a moment, glaring down at her attire when she realises she’s barefoot in the dirty streets.

“Look, I'm sorry about that little “show” back there.” The man – with an eyepatch, she finally notices – sighs and actually looks a little guilty. “We just thought it’d be best to break it to you softly.”

“Break **what** to me?” Eve eyes him, suspiciously.

“You’ve been asleep, Cap.” Nick tells her, just laying it all out. “Under the ice, for seventy years.”

**÷**

**:6 MONTHS LATER:**

“Hello?”

“Hey, Cap. Hill said you wanted me to call?”

“Uh, yeah. Th-thanks.”

“What’s wrong, Rogers?” Nick sounds slightly worried now. “We haven’t seen you since the Loki disaster, and now you’re calling me?”

“Nothing's wrong. Don’t worry, it’s nothing like that.” Eve quickly confirms.

“Good.” Nick says, and after a beat, adds, “Maybe lead with that next time.”

“Right. Sorry.” And now Eve just feels stupid and awkward, just like the good old days.

“Well, what is it? I’m kinda busy over here –“

“Right. Sorry.” Eve glares at herself.

Nick chuckles lightly. Well, at least he’s amused.

“Uh, I just wanted to ask you if you knew anything at all about Bucky, about what really happened to him. Was his body ever found?”

“You mean does S.H.I.E.L.D know anything that the rest of the world doesn’t.” Nick corrects, but there’s still some humour in his tone.

“Pretty much, yeah.”

Nick sighs deeply, and already, Eve takes that as a bad sign. “Trust me when I tell you that neither I nor S.H.I.E.L.D know anything about what happened to Sergeant Barnes, but if we did, you’d already know it, too.”

Eve feels a lump form in her throat, because she knows he’s telling the truth, she’s good like that, like the good supersoldier that she is. “Okay.” She says, clearing her throat quietly when her voice wavers. “Thanks anyway.”

“Out of curiosity,” Nick pipes up after a moment of silence. “Why'd it take you this long to ask?”

“Honestly,” Eve says, “I was scared of the answer.”

**÷**

Sam is nice.

Eve likes Sam.

She’s only known him for the better part of a day, but she’s good at picking out the sincere and genuine souls.

But yes, Sam is nice. He’s funny, and kind and so caring that he hung up his soldier boots to help those in need, the lost souls broken from war, and fighting.

Sam knows who she is, seems slightly flustered when she finally slows down and has mercy on his poor limbs.

Eve doesn’t mind. Honestly, after the chaos Loki unleashed and she and her new Avenger friends cleared up, she’s oddly used to the attention.

And now, Sam is her friend, too. And his smile is so bright it reminds her of Bucky. It’s nice that he makes her forget the pain sometimes, even if nothing will ever mend her broken heart.


	2. On Your Left

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "On your left."

“On your left.”

It’s the first time he lays eyes on her in real life for himself, but Sam can’t help (fondly) glaring after the blonde blur of a supersoldier. He huffs, continues on with his measly second lap, only to hear her light, and somehow still heavy and sure footsteps running up behind him for what can only be the hundredth time, he swears.

“On your left.” She repeats.

He sees her grin cheekily as she breezes easily passed him, glare intensifying even if he secretly wants to grin, too.

Eve doesn’t know why she starts this little game of theirs, but most likely because it’s fun. And he seems nice enough.

“Uh-huh. On my left. Got it.” He grits out, waving her off. And when he hears her hearty laugh a moment later, he glances up and sees that she’s already in the overhead distance, much to his (manly) dismay.

After only another three minutes - he checks his watch to make sure - Sam hears those familiar footsteps hurrying up behind him once again. “Uh-uh, don’t say it! Don’t say –“

“On your left.”

“Oh, _come on!_ ” Sam shouts in utter disbelief. Though, he doesn’t know why. He knows who she is and what she’s capable of. Especially after seeing her on the news a bunch of times along with the Avengers crew. But seeing her with his own eyes is another story entirely.

Eve can’t help laughing (the first real laugh since waking up from the ice) as she takes off passed him again.

Somewhere around five minutes later, Sam’s resting his sorry ass under one of the larger trees when she finally takes mercy and jogs up beside him.

“Need a medic?” She chirps, smiling way too sweetly for his now bruised ego.

Sam manages to puff out a laugh at that as he clutches his heaving chest. “I need a damn new set of lungs, is what I need.”

Eve simply grins.

“Did you just run, like, thirty miles in thirty minutes? Mile for each minute?” Sam asks incredulously, still panting loudly.

“Guess I had a late start.” Eve says, tries so very hard not to sound (too) snooty.

Sam laughs again. “Oh, really? You should be ashamed of yourself, soldier. In fact, I think you should take another two laps right now.”

Eve grins.

Sam pauses, then glares playfully up at her. “Did you just take it? I assume you just took it.”

Eve smirks before asking, “What unit are you with?”

“58, Para rescue.” Sam says, “But these days, I’m working down at the D.A.” He slowly hauls himself back up onto his feet, wiping his hands on his sweatpants before offering one out to her. “Sam Wilson.”

“Eve Rogers.” She says as she shakes his hand and nods curtly at the other soldier.

“Yeah, I, uh, I know who you are.” Sam curses himself in his mind as he feels a sudden blush flush onto his cheeks.

So what if Captain America was his hero growing up? And so what if she still is?

Sam quickly pulls himself together and thankfully she doesn’t seem to notice his brief internal meltdown. “Must've freaked you the hell out coming home to all of this after the whole defrosting thing.” He tries to keep the glare for himself off of his face as he smiles pleasantly and waits for a reply.

Sometimes he wishes he just would not say words.

“It took some time getting used to, but I think I’ll be okay.” Eve lies, because without Bucky, she’ll never truly be okay.

**÷**

“You should be proud of yourself, Peggy.” Eve smiles softly to herself as she slowly flips through all of the elderly woman's family photos.

“I have lived a good life.” Peggy croaks out carefully, still staring in utter awe at the (still) older woman sitting at her bedside.

After all this time, she thinks with a soft smile of her own.

Her expression falters then as she adds, “My only regret is that you didn’t get to live yours.”

Eve can’t help the sad look that stretches across her face at the mere sorrow she sees on the other woman’s wrinkled, but still so beautiful face.

“What is it?” Peggy whispers, sure she will not like the answer.

Eve sighs quietly in defeat, never having been able to keep secrets from her darling Peggy. “It's just that, for as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted and tried so badly to do the right thing... And I guess that I’m not quite so sure of what the right thing is anymore. I mean, I tried to throw myself straight back into the life, to follow and serve my country, but... It’s just not the same anymore.”

Peggy chuckles softly. “You always were so dramatic.”

At that, Eve does manage a small smile.

“Captain Evelyn Grace Rogers, you saved the entire world.” Peggy says with passion in her voice, then sighs glumly as she adds, “And then, we rather... Mucked it up again.”

“You didn’t.” And when Eve says that she really means Peggy herself and not S.H.I.E.L.D. “Knowing that you founded S.H.I.E.L.D is half the reason I stay.”

The other reason, of course, being that she stays and fights on for him; for her Bucky.


	3. What Our Ghost Really Wants

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Let's go find out what our ghost really wants. Because I have a feeling that he’s only just getting started this time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know most of this is from the movies, with me changing up the dialogue very slightly, but I promise you, I shall add my own chapters, I just have to tie them in at the right times.
> 
> Again, thank you for reading.  
> (:

“So who else knows about your wife?”

After Eve meets her lovely new next door neighbour, she’s too tired for visitors, but it seems she’s got one anyway. She’s nothing, if not stealthy and instead of using the front door, decides to climb up the drainpipe and through her hallway window where she left her shield resting by the front door.

Thankfully, it’s only Nick. However, he looks like he’s seen better days, as he says just that to her.

“Just... My _friends_.” He replies, swirling round the half empty glass of whiskey that he’s helped himself to.

“And is that what _I_ am?” Eve asks, arching a brow and looking very cautious.

“That’s entirely up to you, Rogers.” He says before there’s three loud rings of gunfire, glass breaking and Nick groaning loudly in pain as he slumps to the floor.

Before Eve even has time to react, her front door bursts open and her friendly blonde neighbour is standing beside her with a handgun.

“Captain Rogers,”

But Eve ignores her as Fury looks up at her and between wheezing breaths says, “Don’t... Trust... **Anyone**...”

“Captain, I'm Agent 13 of S.H.I.E.L.D’s Special Service.”

“Kate?” Eve finally registers.

“Sharon Carter.” She reveals with an apologetic smile. “I’ve been assigned to protect you.”

Eve wants to scoff, but instead asks, “Under who’s order?”

“His.” Sharon points towards Fury. “Do you have a 20 on the shooter?” She asks the Captain as she kneels down beside her boss and pulls out her phone.

Eve glares through her broken window just when she sees a glimpse of cold blue eyes and a mop of dark brown hair from the corner of her eye. “Tell ‘em I’m in pursuit.”

**÷**

“Is he gonna make it?”

“I don’t know.” Eve replies honestly as she watches the doctors operate through the glass.

“Tell me about the shooter.” Natasha says, anything to keep her distracted from this nightmare she’s suddenly in.

“He’s fast, faster than me. And strong.” Eve says, recalling the moment he caught her shield, (almost) as if it was nothing. “And he had a metal arm. The left one, if that’s at all helpful.”

“Ballistics?” Nat asks.

“Three slugs, no rifling, and completely untraceable.” Hill says through gritted teeth, her arms crossed tightly, and an anxious look on her face.

“Soviet Made.” Nat says aloud, without thinking, instantly cursing herself in her mind.

“Yeah.” Hill says, looks slightly suspicious, but before anyone can say anything else, Nick crashes and so do the girls’ world.

**÷**

It seems like that asshole; Pierce finally got his way when he put a warrant out on her. She has no proof that it’s him, _yet_ , but she’s not stupid, she knows it’s him. And she’s not letting this go without a fight. She’s nothing if not resourceful.

“It’s nothing personal.” He says.

And when Eve finally finishes off Brock and his men, she’s thinking, _'It kinda **feels** personal.'_

Then, when she makes her (over) dramatic escape, Eve goes back to the hospital that Fury died in to retrieve that stupid flashdrive, only to find it gone.

_Obviously._

Why would **anything** ever be **that** easy?

Of course, and rather thankfully, she doesn’t have to look too far, though, much to her annoyance it’s Nat who she finds and hauls roughly into one of the empty rooms.

“Where is it?” Eve demands after locking the door and marching over to the superspy.

“In a safe place, _obviously._ ”

Eve snarls in irritation at the younger woman’s laid back attitude. “Do better!” She snaps, slamming her back into the wall.

“Where did you get it?”

“Why would I tell **you**?” Eve glares at her.

Nat looks surprised as she realises, “Nick gave it to you. Why?”

But Eve has a question of her own, “What’s on it?”

“I don’t know.” Nat insists.

“Stop **lying!** ” Eve growls, because Natasha is one of the _very_ few people she can never get a good enough read on and that just pisses her off all the more.

“I only **act** like I know everything, Rogers.” Nat says snootily.

“Yeah?” Eve sneers, arching a brow. “Well, I bet you **know** that Fury hired those pirates, don't you?”

“Makes sense.” Nat shrugs, but nods at the same time for a little confirmation. “Ship was dirty, Nick needed a way in. And so did you.” She states matter of factly.

And now, Eve has finally had enough. She’s finally reached her boiling point as she says in a low, but very firm voice, “I won’t ask you again, Romanoff.”

Nat sighs in defeat, because even though she wanted to go off and do the whole revenge thing right now, she also knows that when Eve uses her surname, she's really in trouble and can’t get out of it. “I know who killed Fury.” She says finally getting back down to business, and goes on when she sees she has the Captain's full attention. “First of all, most of the intelligence community don’t even believe that he exists, but the one's who **do** , call him _**'The Winter Soldier**_.'”

Eve’s eyes narrow a little.

How come _she’s_ never heard of him?

Nat continues, “As far as I know, he’s credited with over two dozen assassinations in the last fifty years.”

Eve arches a brow at that, wondering how he could be doing this for so long.

Was he ageless?

Was he even human?

Instead, she just huffs (because as always and forever, it seems, nothing is ever easy, not even a little) and says, “So he’s basically a fricking ghost story.”

“Basically.” Nat says, and then suddenly decides to lay it all out to the Captain, everything that she knows. Because if Nick trusted her enough, then so does Nat. And in return, she wants Eve to trust her. “Five years ago, I was escorting a nuclear engineer out of Iran, when somebody shot out my tires, somewhere near Odessa. I lost control of the van and it went right over a cliff. I managed to pull us both out, and he was hurt, but he alive, but...” She takes a deep breath. “The Winter Soldier was already there... Just... Waiting for us... I was trying to cover the engineer, but he shot right through me...”

Eve's eyes widen a little when the redhead pulls up her shirt and the supersoldier can clearly see the small, but still angry-red scar on the side of her stomach. She stays silent for the moment, simply taking all of the new information in.

“A Soviet slug, no rifling.” Nat says, as if to finally explain her words back at the hospital. “Bye-bye, bikinis.” She adds with a small smirk, simply trying to lighten the mood some.

Eve merely rolls her eyes as she says, “Oh, yeah, I bet you look _real_ terrible in ‘em now.”

There’s another hint of a smile on Nat's face, but her next words are much more serious, “Before you say anything about all of this, just know that going after The Winter Soldier is nothing, but dead ends.” She warns, “Trust me. I’ve tried myself, so many times that I’ve actually lost count and I **never** lose count.” She arches a brow to make a point.

Eve simply rolls her eyes.

Because when has that ever stopped her?

“Seriously.” Nat says, because she already knows what the tall blonde is thinking. “You said it yourself;” She adds, finally holding the flashdrive out to her. “The guy's basically a ghost story.”

“Well, then,” Eve says, sounding as determined as ever as she takes the flashdrive from the redhead. “Let's go find out what our ghost really wants. Because I have a feeling that he’s only just getting started this time.”


	4. With You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “ **I** should be going with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this chapter is so short.
> 
> Again, thank you for reading.  
> (:

**:FLASHBACK:**

Eve would like to say that she doesn’t encounter many men who have the _“pathetic cheek”_ – as her mother would call it – to lay ill hands on a lady. But this is New York, apparently douchebag central and Eve would also like to say that she's a lady, but –

“You just don’t know when to quit, do ya?” The current said douchebag looks like he doesn’t know whether to be impressed or just pissed off some more.

And if Eve weren’t still so annoyed with how inconsiderate he was back in the movie theatre, she would smile triumphantly at that. Instead, she pulls herself back up onto her feet and sends him a confident (as ever) smirk as she replies, “I could do this all day.”

The guy glares at her and goes in for another punch when she holds her fists up for him.

Eve winces, ready for the sure blow to her face. Again. _The prick._

However, this time it doesn’t come, and Eve opens her eyes at the sound of an all too familiar voice echoing down the alleyway.

“Hey!” Bucky has the guy’s pulled back wrist firmly in his grasp and is wearing a monumental scowl.

 _If looks could only kill_ , Eve thinks.

The guy goes to open his mouth, but Bucky immediately cuts him off. “How ‘bout you pick on someone your own size? And your own gender, you fuckin’ lowlife scumbag.”

As usual – because yes, it’s a very common thing for Eve to get into these types of situations, in fact, lately, it’s been a daily occurrence – her knight in shining armour comes to her rescue without fail and while she will forever love him for it, for how he looks out for her and takes care of her, it’s also kind of a nuisance. Because if Bucky’s anything, he’s incredibly loyal, but sometimes overbearing.

“Sometimes,” Bucky huffs after he’s (literally) kicked the guy’s ass back out of the alleyway, “I think you like getting beat up.”

Eve ignores the little buckle in her knees when he flashes her a hint of his brilliant smile. “I had him on the ropes.” She says with a casual shrug.

Bucky wants to chuckle at that, but instead rolls his eyes when he reaches down to pick her slip of paper up. “How many times is this, now?” He finally does chuckle when he reads, “Oh, and you’re from Paramus, now, too? You do know that it is _very_ illegal to lie about anything on your enlistment form?” He says as he hands it back to her. “And seriously, Jersey?”

Eve wants to smile at that, but instead, finally manages to ask, “You get your orders?” She motions to his uniform and thankfully her dampened mood at the prospect of never seeing him again distracts her from how good he looks in it.

Like, really, **really**... _Good_.

“Uh-huh.”

And Eve has to smile fondly at his very boyish and rather bashful smile. And she’s glad that she's only ever seen him blush around her and no other dames.

Even if it doesn’t mean anything.

_Probably, though, right?_

“The 1-0-7th.” He says proudly, though, only to keep the lump in his throat from growing even more. “Sergeant James Barnes, shipping out first thing tomorrow.”

“ **I** should be going with you.” Eve says gloomily, regretfully.

“C’mon, princess, it’s my last night.” Bucky slides an arm around her shoulders and pulls her tiny frame into the warmth of his side. “Let's go get you all cleaned up and dolled up.”

And as always, she simply follows him back out of that alleyway, because she would forever follow him to the ends of the universe and back.


	5. Kiss Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Kiss me.”

“Kiss me.”

Eve blinks, because – “What?”

Nat rolls her eyes and says, “Public displays of affection – especially between gay couples – make people extremely uncomfortable.”

“Um –“

But before Eve has time react, the redhead is pulling her head down for a kiss and Eve tries not to positively blush (almost as hard as when Bucky used to make her blush.)

And so what if she enjoys this a little?

 _It's certainly not an unpleasant feeling_ , she thinks.

And like a charm, it works, Rumlow looking pointedly away from them as he passes on the opposite escalator.

“Uncomfortable?” Nat asks with an amused smirk when she notices the Captain's red cheeks.

Eve clears her throat as she replies, “That’s not exactly the word I'd use.”

Every experience is an experience, after all.

**÷**

****

****

**:FLASHBACK:**

Eve slips easily out of the crowds with her tiny frame just after Stark’s latest invention backfires and Bucky, like always, notices and follows her.

“You’re really gonna do this?”

Eve turns away from the mirror to look at him. “Well, it is a fair. Thought I'd try my luck.” She grins, forever hopeful and it hurts his heart.

“As who? Eve from Nevada or Ohio?”

She shoots him a withering look when she detects the blatant sarcasm in his voice.

“They’ll catch you. Or worse, they’ll actually take you in.” Bucky says, both his voice and expression showing worry now.

But Eve is forever confident as she is stubborn. “Look, I know you think I can’t do this –“

“This isn’t just another back alley, Eve! It’s war!” Bucky finally snaps, but he’s scared of losing her, and doesn’t know how to process it any other way because he’s never really been angry with her before, for anything.

“I know that. You don’t have to tell me.” Eve glares at him, looking slightly offended, though, only to cover up the hurt.

Did he really think she was so naive?

“Why are you so keen to fight? There are so many other jobs, just as important.” There is clear pleading in his tone now.

Eve scoffs, her turn to be sarcastic as she says, “Like what? Collecting bits of scrap metal in my little red wagon?”

“Yes!” Bucky nods all too eagerly.

Eve makes a face. “Bucky, I am **not** gonna sit in some old factory for the rest of my life when there are people out there laying down their lives for their country. I’ve got no right whatsoever to do any less than that. That’s what you don’t understand. It’s not about me.”

“Right, ‘cause you got _nothing_ to prove.” Bucky says under his breath, sarcasm back again.

Eve scalds him before turning away from him.

“Okay! I’m sorry!” Bucky grabs at her wrist and tugs her gently back to him.

Eve huffs as she looks up at him with a less than impressed expression.

“Look, just don’t do anything stupid until I get back, okay?” He pleads with both his words and his pretty blue eyes.

Eve rolls her eyes, but can’t help smiling. “How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.”

“You’re a lil' punk.” Bucky chuckles as he wraps his arms around her shoulders and pulls her in for a warm hug.

“And you’re still a jerk.” Eve can’t help grinning to herself as she wraps her arms around his waist and presses her cheek to his chest. “Be careful.” She says as they slowly pull away from each other after a minute or so.

“I'm always careful.” Bucky grins, reaching forward to plant a kiss to her forehead before slowly walking backwards and making his exit.

Eve smiles as she calls out to him, “Don't win the war ‘til I get there!”

**÷**

Nat scoffs loudly. “Well, **that** definitely doesn’t count.”

“Trust me, it counted back then.” Eve insists... Mainly because she's too embarrassed to say anything about the real night she and Bucky finally shared one another.

Nat scoffs again.

“Was I really **that** bad?” Eve asks, looks slightly worried.

Nat smirks. “I didn’t say that.”

Eve shoots her a withering look. “Well, it kinda **sounds** like that’s what you’re saying.”

Nat ignores her comment, instead, asks, “So, nobody special?”

Eve chuckles lightly only to cover up the annoyance of Nat's persistence. “Believe it or not, kinda hard to find someone else with the same sorta life experiences.”

“So, not even _Bucky_?”

Eve glares at her.

And this time, it’s Nat's turn to chuckle. “I see the look in your eyes when you talk about him. And you’re a terrible liar.”


	6. Who The Hell Is Bucky?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Who the hell is Bucky?”

As usual when they find a new lead – because it seems to be a fricking pattern now – S.H.I.E.L.D tries to kill Eve and this time, she’s guilty because she’s put Nat in danger, too.

After the smoke clears, but before Rumlow and his men come to check for – what he expects to find – their charred corpses, Eve slings Nat's unconscious form over her shoulder and with her shield in her other hand, she gets them both the hell out of there.

She doesn’t take them back to the " _borrowed_ " truck, knowing it’s probably swarmed with more soldiers. Instead, she makes it on foot, staying away from open roads and finds herself at the home of probably the last person left that she truly trusts right now.

“Ladies.” Sam greets, his face showing a little concern as he takes in their soot covered forms.

“I'm really sorry about this, but we _really_ need a place to lay low right now.” Eve says, shooting him a pleading look as she holds the redhead up beside her.

“Everyone we know is trying to kill us.” Nat says simply, looking a lot more worse for wear than the ever endurant supersoldier.

Sam shoots them both a meaningful look as he says, “Not everyone.”

**÷**

After Sam shows the girls the guest room and the small on-suit bathroom to go with, he leaves them to it, departing with the promise of both fresh hot coffee and ice cold beers.

“You okay?” Eve asks, because she would like to think that even before the serum heightened her brain functions, she was pretty intuitive.

Although, maybe it was just with Bucky. Because she knew him so well.

“Yeah.”

But Eve sees the sad look on the redhead's pretty face. “What’s wrong, Nat?”

She sighs softly before saying, “When I first joined S.H.I.E.L.D, I thought that was me going straight, y'know? But I guess I just traded the KGB for HYDRA.” She huffs as she adds, “I thought I knew who’s lies I was telling, but I don’t really know the difference anymore.”

And yes, Eve knows how that feels, all too well.

“Well, there’s a chance you might be in the wrong business.” Eve says with a grin, trying to lighten the mood some.

It works a little at least when Nat smirks ever so slightly. “I owe you.” She says with sincerity.

Eve chuckles lightly. “It’s fine.”

Nat shoots the blonde a curious look as she asks, “If it was the other way around and it was down to me to save your life, would you trust me to do it?”

Eve smiles as she replies, “I would now.”

**÷**

For the second time in under 24 hours, Eve saves Nat's life and she really won’t forget it as she runs away from The fucking Winter Soldier and takes cover behind the nearest car.

This man – whoever the heck he is, Eve briefly wonders – almost has her, almost beats her.

He’s just a little bit quicker than her, and it does count, for him.

However, and thankfully, she is stronger, even if she’s clearly less skilled and trained as he is, because he really does fight like a mindless killer rather than a soldier. He’s more brutal, seems more pissed off that he’s being bested by her.

But finally, Eve has him and in the process finally rips off his mask before flipping him over.

He lands back on his feet gracefully before swirling around to shoot her an angry glare.

And Eve is frozen in her spot, shield hanging limply in her grasp.

Nat is confused, however, because _why isn’t Cap just finishing him already?_

“Bucky?” Eve asks when she finally finds her voice.

 _Ah,_ Nat thinks, _**that’s** why._

His cold blue eyes look at her in confusion as he asks, “Who the hell is Bucky?”

Eve is simply in shock as she continues to stare at him, not even aware of him pulling out another gun and aiming it right at her head.

And Nat finally pays back at least half her debt to the Captain when she fires her gun at him.

Eve finally jumps at the sound of gunfire, only coming back to reality to see Bucky running away from her.


	7. 'Til The End Of The Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I'm with you ‘til the end of the line, princess.”

“It was him. It was Bucky... _My_ Bucky.” Eve whispers, mostly talking to herself as she stares glumly down at her empty lap.

They took her shield from her when they shoved the three of them into the back of this van, but even that isn’t enough of a concern for her right now.

“He looked right at me... And he didn’t even recognise me.”

“How’s that even possible?” Sam asks, tries to hide that little spike of jealousy as he says, “It’s been 70 years.”

“Zola.” Eve says with realisation as she looks up at both her friends. “Back in '43, Bucky's entire unit was captured and Zola did all sorts of experiments on them. Whatever he did to them must've helped Bucky survive the fall.” And she feels conflicted, because she’s grateful for that, grateful that Bucky is alive, at least. “They obviously found him again... And this time, I wasn’t there to save him.”

Sam gives Nat a look, because she’s known the Captain a lot longer than he has.

But Nat doesn’t need to be told twice (or even once) as she places a comforting hand on the supersoldier's knee and says, “None of that is your fault, Eve. How could you have even known?” She adds, trying to reason and somehow hopefully make her feel less guilty.

Sam notices Nat wheezing and clutching at her side with bloody fingers. “Hey, we need to get her to a hospital.”

**÷**

It’s a timely revelation that even Eve didn’t see coming when Hill breaks them out and leads them straight see the one and only – still alive, and sassy – Nick Fury. Nat was more relieved than anything else, but Eve just had more questions and Sam was simply happy to be safe at last.

Nick scoffs as he looks at the photo of Pierce before tossing it onto the table. “See, it’s people like **this** that give me trust issues.”

“We have to stop that launch.” Nat says. Though, even with her slightly enhanced DNA, she'll need more than a day to fully recover from her wound, unlike a certain supersoldier would have probably needed.

Fury opens a small silver case containing three computer chips as he says, “Well, I don’t think the council are accepting my calls at the moment. _Especially_ if I’m supposed to be dead.” He adds that last part with a pointed look towards the redhead.

Nat simply rolls her eyes.

“What're these for?” Sam asks, motioning to the case.

“We need to breach those carriers and replace their targeting blades with our own.” Fury explains, as if it’s really going to be that easy.

“And one or two won’t cut it either.” Hill adds, “We need all three in for this to work. If not, we all die, and so do a whole mass of innocent civilians.”

“So no pressure?” Sam quips.

Nat and Hill smirk.

“We have to assume that everyone on all three carriers is HYDRA.” Fury says, “After you get passed them and carry out your mission, we need to salvage –“

Eve scoffs loudly. “We're not salvaging **anything**. S.H.I.E.L.D. HYDRA. It **all** goes.” She says with a firm voice.

“S.H.I.E.L.D had nothing to do with any of this.” Fury says, obviously trying to reason with the Captain, but she's having none of it.

“ _You_ gave me this mission and **this** is how I’m ending it.” Eve says, making it clear that she's not asking him. “S.H.I.E.L.D has been compromised, HYDRA has been right under your nose this entire time and you never even _once_ noticed.”

“Why do you think we're meeting in a cave?” Fury says, motioning to their surroundings with a pointed look. “ _I noticed._ ”

“And how many people paid the price before that?” Eve shoots him a pointed look right back.

Fury sighs in defeat as he says, “Look, I _swear_ I didn’t know about Barnes.”

Eve scoffs again because she believes him, but – “Would you seriously have told me even if you did? Or would you have compartmentalized **that** , too?”

**÷**

****

****

**:FLASHBACK:**

“Thank you, Buck. Really. But I can get by on my own.” Eve smiles at his ever kind and caring nature.

“Thing is, you don’t have to.” Bucky tells her with that knee weakening smile of his as he drapes an arm around her shoulders and pulls her close, like he always does. “I'm with you ‘til the end of the line, princess.”


	8. Time To Save The World Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He will. Gear up, Falcon. It’s time to save the world again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this chapter is so short tonight, but I am just so tired.
> 
> Thank you for reading anyway.  
> (:

Eve's good memories and thoughts of her beloved Bucky are suddenly interrupted as Sam walks down the bridge to join her.

He smiles back at her when she smiles at him first and then with a heavy heart says, “You know that he’s probably gonna be there.” Because even if he is (a little) jealous, he sees the pain and conflict in her eyes, and her heart.

Eve nods. “I know.” She says, her voice calm, but somehow final, like she’s already accepted that she’ll do whatever it takes to protect her country, just like she always has. And she always will.

“Look,” Sam sighs, “Whoever he used to be and the guy that he is now... I just don’t think that’s the kind of guy you save, even if he wanted to be. He’s the kind of guy you stop.”

And Eve knows exactly what he means by that, but she also knows – “I don’t think I can do that.”

Sam nods, because he already kind of figured that one out long before he even thought of having this conversation with her.

“But you guys don’t need to worry about me completing the mission.” Eve says, also knowing that was the real reason he came here – Fury probably having sent him. “I will get it done. Even if I have to break both of his legs to do it.”

Sam chuckles with a shake of his head at the slightly absurd little grin of humour on her lips at that last part. “And what if he doesn’t give you a choice?” He asks with an arched brow, then softly adds, “He doesn’t even remember you.”

Eve nods in acknowledgement, but wears her ever optimistic smile as she says, “He will. Gear up, Falcon. It’s time to save the world again.”

Sam scoffs, shooting her a playful glare as he says, “Yeah, for **you** it is.”

Eve simply grins.

Because what doesn’t she have to be happy about?

Bucky is alive.

And now that Eve knows that, she will stop at nothing to bring him home, to Brooklyn, and to her.


	9. Willing To Bet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “But I’m willing to bet that I’m not.”

Sam can't help the grin that splits onto his face the first time he ever sees her all suited up as Captain America, because it’s definitely a dream ( _and_ a secret fantasy) come true. He also can’t help laughing when he asks her where she got it from and she replies with the simple explanation of –

“I _may_ have stolen it from the Smithsonian.”

And if that poor security guard really does get fired because of her, she really is sorry for that, but clearly there are more pressing matters for her to deal with first.

**÷**

Eve doesn’t know how she gets her and Sam into the building without detection, but she does it with ease and everything else is rather a bit of a blur until she finds herself barging into the main control room.

“Excuse us.” Eve hauls the guard out of his seat and throws him towards Sam, who’s right behind her and catches him with ease.

“What’re you gonna do?” Sam asks, watching her with curiosity.

Eve simply smirks before turning around and addressing the entire building through the coms. Knowing that Pierce (" _the scumbag_ " – as Bucky would call him) will hear her every word, her voice calm and her words slow and steady, she says, “Attention, all S.H.I.E.L.D agents,”

Sam forces the guard into another chair before going go lock the door to make sure they’re not interrupted.

“This is Eve Rogers speaking. You must have heard a lot about me by now, over the last few days in particular. Some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But now, and while I still can, I think it’s time that you all know the truth...” She pauses for dramatic effect. “S.H.I.E.L.D is not what we thought it was. It has been taken over by HYDRA. Alexander Pierce is their current leader. The STRIKE and the Insight crew are both HYDRA as well. I’m sorry, I don’t really know any more than that. But I do know that they are in this building right now. For all you know, they could be standing right next to you. And now, they almost have what they want, what they've always wanted: absolute control, over everything and everyone. They are the ones who shot Nick Fury; your boss and to some of you, your dear friend, and it won’t end there, believe me, I’ve seen it for myself. If you launch those carriers today, HYDRA will finally be able to kill anyone that gets in their way. Unless we stop them.”

Sam smiles, feeling rather proud of her words, feeling proud of knowing such a great woman; his hero.

Eve sighs as she goes on to say, “I know that I’m asking a lot here, but that's the thing about freedom; it’s never really free. It's always been a high price to pay, and I’m willing to pay it. I hope that you are, too. And if I am the only one, well, then so be it...” She smiles, ever optimistic as she adds, “But I’m willing to bet that I’m not.”

Sam chuckles when she finally cuts off the transmission. With a playful grin, he asks, “Did you write that down first or was it off the top of your head?”

Eve smiles as she says, “Lil’ of both.”

This time, Sam’s reply is cut off by the guard who glares up at her as he sneers, “You smug little **bitch**.”

Eve shoots him a withering look as she asks, “Hey, what’s that on your shirt?”

“What?” The guard looks confused as he looks down, completely oblivious.

And once again, Sam can’t help laughing his ass off when Eve simply punches the guard in the face, rendering him completely unconscious.


	10. You're America's New Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “But I understand that you’re America’s new hope.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry that it's a short chapter again. I am knackered out tonight.
> 
> Let me know your thoughts so far?
> 
> Thank you for reading.  
> (:

**:FLASHBACK:**

Eve isn’t ungrateful for the fame, but to be honest, it is the one thing in all of this that she could do without. She isn't ungrateful for the opportunity of travelling the States and performing for her country. But she is unfulfilled, that much is true.

Of course, being the good girl as usual, she keeps all of her doubts and disappointments to herself.

Well, for a while anyway.

Tonight’s almost the final straw for Eve when a few of the soldiers begin to heckle her.

“Show us what’s under the tights, baby doll!” – is probably her least favourite.

That is until another shouts, “I bet singing isn't the most talented thing she can do with that purdy mouth!” causing the others to laugh.

Without the serum to boost her confidence, Eve would probably have blushed at the such crude words, but right now all she feels is the overwhelming urge to get down off this stage and beat the smug smirk off of each and every one of these douches.

But no, like a good girl again, Eve simply ignores them all and carries on.

Finally, her night seems to get a whole lot better when a wonderfully familiar face shows up backstage, waiting just for her.

Eve smiles brightly at the ever stunning and articulately dressed brunette.

Eve can’t help smiling whenever she’s around. She may have an odd sort of crush on her, too. And it doesn’t hurt that she's the only one who's ever been real nice to Eve, even before the serum. Eve knows a true friend when she meets one.

“Hey, Peggy. What’re you doing here?” Eve asks after a moment of blatantly staring and now lightly blushing. 

“Officially, I’m not here at all.” Peggy grins mischievously. “And that was quite a performance.”

Eve blushes, rather embarrassed to know that she was watching. “Yeah, I, uh... Had to improvise a little. The crowds I’m used to are usually a little more, uh... Tolerable.”

“But I understand that you’re America’s new hope.” Peggy says with an arched brow.

“Bond sales take a ten percent bump in every State that I visit.” Eve says, like that explains everything.

Peggy shoots her a humorous look. “Is that Senator Brandt I hear?”

“At least he’s got me doing something useful. Philips would have just stuck me back in a lab.” Eve grumbles.

“And these are your only two options?” Peggy scoffs, “A lab rat or a dancing monkey? You were meant for more than this, you know?” She frowns when Eve hesitates. “What is it?”

“Y'know, for the longest time, I dreamed about going overseas and being on the frontline. Serving my country. I finally get everything that I ever wanted and I’m wearing tights.”

Peggy chuckles at her adorable glare, then takes on a more serious look as she explains, “Schmidt sent out a force to Rosano. Two hundred of our men went up against him and less than fifty returned. Your audience out there contained what was left of the 1-0-7th, but the rest were killed.”

Eve pales. “The 1-0-7th?”

Peggy dreads the look on her pretty face just as she dreads asking, “What is it? What's wrong?”


	11. You Know Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You know me.”

While Nat stalls Pierce with Fury’s help, and Sam deals with Rumlow, Eve meets Bucky face to face for the second time and it goes about the same way as the first.

“People are gonna die, Bucky. Please don’t make me do this, because I can’t let you do this. I won’t.”

She’s ever defiant, always willing to be until her very last breath, but he only stares blankly back at her.

She attacks first, because that’s what he wants so she throws her shield and he deflects it with his metal forearm, which she predicts as she easily catches her shield when it boomerangs back to her.

He puts up a good fight, but this time Eve isn’t stopping until she’s completed her mission, knows the world depends on it.

And maybe it’s just Eve’s imagination, but when he stabs her in the shoulder and she roars out in pain, she thinks she sees a flash of conflict in his cold blue eyes.

She ignores it (for now) just as she ignores the pain as she rips the knife out and tosses it aside before grappling with him. They wrestle and he gets in a few good hits, but ultimately, she overpowers him.

Eve grabs him by the throat instead and hauls him up above her before flipping him clean over her shoulder and slamming him back down onto the glass floor of the carrier.

Bucky, however, doesn’t let go of the chip, not even when she breaks his fleshy arm. And it’s probably just his imagination, but he swear he sees guilt in her bright blue eyes as he yells out loudly in pain.

He trips her and they wrestle on the floor before she gains leverage once more and manages to wrap her legs around his midsection from behind. Thankfully, she traps his broken fleshy arm with ease, too. But he manages to get in one more good hit to her face with his metal hand before she musters up all of her strength (what's left of it by this point) and manages to trap that one, too.

She slides an arm around his neck then and waits as he struggles against her.

(Okay, so she didn’t have to break his legs, but she didn’t know she'd be able to get a hold of him for this long.)

He finally passes out and Eve quickly snatches up the last chip before rushing off.

Bucky comes to only moments later and wants to be impressed when he sees her climbing her way back up, but he’s just a weapon, so why the hell does he suddenly want her to succeed?

He growls in anger and snatches up his abandoned gun instead.

Eve gasps when the first bullet rips through her left leg, but she grits her teeth, doesn’t look back and carries on.

Bucky glares darkly as he steps closer and aims again.

 _It’s not him, he’s not himself_ , is what Eve thinks over and over again as the next two bullets rip through her right shoulder.

This time she falls to her knees and even though he doesn’t want to, The Winter Soldier makes Bucky smirk in satisfaction.

**÷**

****

****

**:FLASHBACK:**

“I really thought you were dead, Buck.”

But he’s not and she’s really so fricking glad about that. And she’s also real glad that he seems to be his usual self, despite whatever the hell Red Skull was doing to him and the others.

Bucky chuckles as he sips at his already half empty glass of whiskey. “Yeah, you said.” He says with that ever knee weakening smile, “And like I said, I thought you were smaller.” He arches a brow. “You never got time to explain passed the crazy scientist guy.”

Eve smiles with amusement. “Dr. Erskine.”

“Right.”

“Well, I mean, I joined the army obviously.” Eve can’t help the proud grin that's slapped across her face.

“Did it hurt?” Bucky asks with a slight frown.

“Eh, a little.” Eve shrugs.

“Is it permanent?”

“So far. And I guess.”

Bucky nods with a broad grin. “Well, at least you won’t get sick anymore.” And he really is thanking God – if there is one, he’s not sure – for that one.

However, before Bucky can say what he really wants to say to her, Stark, Philips and Carter all flock over to their dearest Captain America.

She may be just that to them and to the world, but to Bucky she’s still just Eve. His Eve. And no one else’s.

**÷**

The moment she stands back to her feet and he’s run out of fucking ammo just in time, he knows he’s fucking failed, knows what this means and he’s fucking terrified.

He’s lost in thought when the beam falls down on him, trapping him. And he doesn’t know why she just doesn’t save herself, looks at her in confusion as she strains what little strength she has left to lift the beam. He crawls out quickly, swaying as he stands, but thankful he hasn’t broken another bone.

“You know me.”

Bucky growls and punches her in the face as he yells out, “No, I don’t!”

“Bucky, you’ve known me your whole life.” Eve says, her voice filled with plea.

He hits her again and it only infuriates him all the more when she doesn’t fight back anymore.

“Your name is James Buchanan Barnes.”

“Shut up!” He yells back as he punches her again, but she can hear the clear plea in his voice now, too. He wants to glare at her when she drops her shield and pulls off her mask, dropping that, too, but this time he’s too caught up in her long golden hair. So beautiful, so... Familiar.

“I won't fight you anymore.” Eve says, her voice cracking slightly as she says, “You’re my best friend... You're **my** Bucky.”


	12. I'm Following Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “That tiny dame from Brooklyn, who was too dumb to run away from a fight – I’m following her.”

He doesn’t know why he saves her. Maybe it’s because she saved him from being crushed. Or maybe it’s because no matter how hard The Winter Soldier tries to force him, he simply cannot let her die. He doesn’t know why that is, but it’s a strong enough feeling to actually override his brainwashing. And that’s never happened to him before.

Because he’s not stupid. He may be their puppet, but he’s always known what’s going on around him, what they do to him, and what they make him do.

He lets go and crashes into the water after her, dives down and pulls her back up to the surface with him. He pulls her close, keeps her head above the water as best he can with his broken arm as he swims his way to the sandy banks of the river with his metal one.

When he’s done that, he gets to his feet and with his metal arm picks her up and places her over his shoulder. He takes one last look at the exploding carriers before rushing to find the nearest hospital.

And when he does, he knows he won’t be able to stay with her, by her side just to make sure she’s okay. And that, he really doesn’t like.

He doesn’t know why he feels that way all of a sudden, but he also doesn’t really want to question it.

**÷**

****

****

**:FLASHBACK:**

Much to Bucky’s annoyance, he still hasn’t got Eve to himself yet as the two of them sit in a bar later that night with the rest of the Howling Commandos. The only thing that doesn't really piss him off is the fact that Eve seems to be enjoying herself, which he knows she never used to whenever he took her out with him on a Friday night.

 _And besides_ , he thinks, _the night is still young._

“So, let’s get this straight,” Dum Dum says, forth whiskey in hand.

Gabe drunkenly continues for his friend, “We barely got out of there alive, and wouldn’t have gotten out at all if it wasn’t for you anyway... And now, you want us all to go back in with you?” He looks at her like she’s crazy and he isn’t the only one.

Well, apart from Bucky.

He believes in her, but of course he’s still worried for her safety. Even if she could crush him like a twig now.

The thought of that in particular suddenly makes his cock twitch with interest and he distracts himself by gulping down the rest of his whiskey.

“Pretty much.” Eve says with a weak grin.

Montgomery grins as he says, “Sounds rather fun, actually.”

“This may be because I’m highly intoxicated, but... I’m in.” Jim says, well, slurs.

Gabe's grin widens, his French accent thick as he says, “We're in.”

Dum Dum nods. “Hell, I’ll always fight. But you gotta do one thing for me.”

“What’s that?” Eve says curiously.

“Open a tab.” Dum Dum grins.

Eve chuckles. “No problem. Go right ahead.”

Jim arches a brow, but can’t help grinning from ear to ear. “Well, that was easy.”

“Where are they all putting this stuff?” The bartender asks, shaking his head in dismay.

“See? I told you; they’re all idiots.” Bucky says, shaking his head, too.

Eve smirks as the boys all order their next drink.

All, accept for Bucky. 

“What about you?” She asks as she turns to face him with a grin. “You ready to follow Captain America into the Jaws of Death?”

“Hell, no.” Bucky says with a frown, then smiles at her when he says, “That tiny dame from Brooklyn, who was too dumb to run away from a fight – I’m following her.”

And really, how can Eve not smile broadly at that?

“And, uh,”

Eve frowns in confusion as he leans forward and whispers, “You’re keeping that outfit, right?” And Eve positively blushes hard at the very clear suggestive look in his pretty blue eyes.

Bucky almost chuckles at her cute pink cheeks, and he’s nothing but surprised when she leans forward, her lips ghosting over his ear as she whispers, “Y'know what? It’s growing on me.”

And Bucky almost melts as she pulls away and saunters over to join the boys at their table. 

_Holy **fuck**_ , he thinks.


	13. He Remembered You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Y’know, he remembered you... Your little boyfriend... Your little **Bucky**...”_

_“Y’know, he remembered you... Your little boyfriend... Your little **Bucky**...”_

Eve takes a moment to brush Rumlow's words away as they’ve been playing over and over again in her mind since they all got back to Stark's tower; now home for most of the Avengers.

“It’s my fault.” Wanda obviously takes the Captain's heavy sigh as a sign of guilt and suddenly Eve feels guilty for thinking only of herself.

“That’s not true.” She says, walking over to turn the television off.

Wanda doesn't look convinced, however.

“I should've clocked that vest bomb long before you even had to deal with it.” Eve tells her, because Wanda is barely out of her teen years, barely not a child anymore and Eve feels guilty for that, too. “But he said Bucky’s name and all of a sudden, I was that sixteen year old girl from Brooklyn with a stupid crush again.”

“It’s on both of us then.” Wanda insists. “Besides, I think it’s safe to say that it’s more than just a stupid crush.” She adds with a soft smile. “You love him very much, anybody can see that.”

**÷**

****

****

**:FLASHBACK:**

Thankfully because it’s their last night before they all go back on the war path, they’re given the luxury of a room at a nearby inn.

They have to share rooms of course, but Bucky isn’t really complaining seeing as he gets to share with Eve. It’s not like they haven’t shared beds before anyway. Hell, he practically lived at her house whenever his mother used to throw him out.

She’s still wearing that tight Captain America suit of hers, which really doesn’t help Bucky's arousal as he tries to keep his hands to himself. Well, for now anyway.

As he locks the door, Eve carefully rests her shield against her chosen side of the bed, placing her helmet down on the little bedside table. And when she turns around to face him, she immediately blushes at the rather debauched look he’s giving her.

“You look **so** sexy in that outfit.” He says as he slowly stalks towards her.

Eve chuckles lightly. “How drunk are you?”

“Eh, not as much as Dum Dum.” He shrugs, now standing in front of her. “Y’know, I really fuckin' missed you, Eve.”

“I really missed you, too, Buck.” Eve says, and really can’t help adding, “And language.” Maybe it’s because she’s nervous of how close he suddenly is.

Bucky puffs out a laugh. “Shut up, punk.”

Eve's eyes flutter shut as he slowly slides a hand up into her short, choppy blonde locks and then his mouth is suddenly on hers, hot and wet. He tastes of whiskey, but so does she, even if she’s not drunk at all.

Bucky slides his other hand around her waist and then sneakily down to her backside before giving if a soft squeeze. He smirks in satisfaction when she sighs against his lips and suddenly hauls him close.

“Holy fuck!” He lets out breathy laugh.

Eve’s eyes widen in mortification, however. “I’m so sorry! Did I hurt you!?” She pulls her hands off of him and tries to pull away from him altogether.

Bucky simply holds her at her waist and pulls her in for another kiss. It’s more heated, his hands gripping and pulling her close as his lips skilfully (sinfully) ravage her own.

Eve forces herself to pull back, eyes filled with worry as she says, “I could hurt you.”

“I know.” Bucky grins unabashedly. “It’s kind of a turn on.”

Eve can’t help chuckling at that, finding deep amusement even if his words make her blush hard once again.

Bucky huffs then as he says, “But we can do this maybe when I’m sober enough?”

“I don’t think so.” Eve frowns, then scoffs as she uses her strength to swing him around and toss him back onto the bed.

“Oh, Jesus...” Bucky breathes, eyes wide and pupils blown as he looks up at her.

Eve can’t help smiling, because the way he’s looking at her right now is the just the best thing ever.

**÷**

After the disaster with Tony and just about half of her other friends, Eve excuses herself from all of the chaos, because there is something much more important that she needs to do.

And that’s attend her darling Peggy’s funeral.

It’s one of the worse losses, save for her mother and when she thought she had lost Bucky, that she has ever felt.

Sam – who was sweet enough to attend with her – waits for her after the service and Sharon accompanies him as Nat approaches Eve back in the church.

Eve stares calmly up at the large Christian Cross, but with a sad look on her face.

Nat stands beside the Captain, silent, knowing she wants to speak.

And she does. “When I got out of the ice, I thought that everyone that I had ever known was gone forever. Then I found out that Peggy was alive. And I just felt so lucky to have her.”

“I'm sure she felt lucky to have you back, too. And we'll find Barnes again.” Nat says, like she’s completely confident in that. And she is. Because she knows what Rogers is like when she really wants to do something.


	14. Just A Joke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No, Buck. It was just a joke.”

**:FLASHBACK:**

Eve let’s out a laugh of pure joy as she allows him to grab her by the waist and switch their positions so that she's now below him instead. And when he leans down for another kiss, she happily obliges.

Bucky pulls his lips from hers then, only to pepper hot, wet kisses down her neck. “As much as I love this,” He says as his fingers curl around the back of her neck, where her zipline is. “It's gotta go, princess.” He says with a grin.

Eve sits up when he places her hand in his and turns around for him. She tries to ignore how nervous she feels, and it’s pretty easy when his hands are back on her.

Bucky slowly pulls the zip down to where it stops at the small of her back, and a devilish grin slithers across his lips when he sees the very naked dimples of her ass.

Eve positively flushes hard when he says, “No panties, huh? Didn’t think you were the type.”

He can’t help chuckling when she replies with, “You try prancing around in a skin-tight spandex suit. It’s fricking boiling.”

He silences any other potential quips of hers then as he leans forward and presses his lips to her shoulder blade and then to the back of her neck. “Take it off for me.” He whispers into her skin, smiling to himself when she shivers.

By the time it takes Eve to take off her top alone, she looks up to find Bucky standing in front of her already stripped down to his underpants. And she really can’t help stare at his chest for at least a few moments.

He’s certainly filled out since she last saw him.

_The army will do that to you, though._

“Like what you see, princess?”

Eve scoffs, even though she know she's been caught red handed. “I’ve seen better.” She says snootily as she turns back around to roll the rest of this stupid costume off.

She really does hope Stark can invent something a little more comfortable in the nearby future.

Bucky’s eyes narrow. “Like who? Who the hell have you seen naked? Did you... Did you get with someone while I was away, Eve?”

Eve frowns, because _damn_ , that was only meant to be a joke, she thought she had made that pretty clear.

Obviously not.

“No, Buck. It was just a joke.” Eve chuckles, smiling fondly at him when she turns back to face him.

And okay, she feels horrible for enjoying the fact that he’s jealous, even if it’s for no reason whatsoever.

“Oh.” Bucky wants to glare at her, but for a moment he forgot she was standing before him completely naked now. “ _Oh._ ” He says again, for a completely different reason.

She was beautiful before, a princess as he has always called her. But now, now she’s a fucking Goddess. There is a fucking Goddess warrior standing before him right now and he doesn’t move for a moment for the fear of this being over all too early.

Eve flushes from head to toe, scowls at him as she asks, “What?”

**÷**

Only a couple of weeks later and Eve finds herself in Bucharest, Romania, finally having found a lead – someone who looks like The Winter Soldier has been staying here for a few days at least. It’s only a small inkling, but it seems to pay off.

Eve carefully places his diary down on the kitchen table and turns to face him.

He simply stares at her, but he is real glad to know that she's still alive.

“Do you know who I am?” She asks after taking in his every detail, mostly checking to see if he’s okay.

He seems to be. On the outside anyway.

“You’re Eve Rogers. I read about you in the museum.” He says, his voice rough, like he hasn’t really used it all that much.

“I know you’re nervous.” Eve says, shooting him a meaningful look when he looks rather alarmed after his sensitive ears pick up Sam's voice over her radio. “And you have every right to be.” She says as holds out the hand that isn’t holding the shield, motioning she’s not here for a fight. “But you’re lying.” She adds with a solemn look.

And even without the help of the serum, she'd be able to tell he was lying, because she knows him better than anyone.

Bucky simply stares at her for a moment – he almost forgot how beautiful she really is. “I wasn’t in Vienna.” He says finally, knowing she wants an answer. “I don’t do that anymore.”

Eve frowns, her chest aching at the way he tries not to look at her as he says that last part. “Well, the people who think you were there are on their way up here now.” She says when Sam's panic filled voice fuzzes through the radio. “And they don’t plan on taking you alive.”

“That's smart. It’s good strategy.” Bucky nods absentmindedly as he slowly pulls the glove from his metal hand. He says it almost in a humorous way, knowing they won’t even come close to succeeding.

Even without her help.

“Bucky, please, this doesn’t have to end in a fight.” Eve is pretty much begging now.

Bucky sighs, sad blue eyes looking up at her as he says, “It always ends in a fight.”

“Why did you pull me from the river, huh!?” Eve snaps, now scowling at him.

“I don’t know.” Bucky says without missing a beat, like he’s programmed himself to say it, because it’s just easier that way.

He doesn’t want to hurt her anymore. He's already done enough of that.


	15. I Love You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I love you, too, Captain America.”

**:FLASHBACK:**

Because it’s her first time – and because he is a gentleman (no matter what some girls or even his mother and sister might say) – Bucky pulls her to sit on top of him, let’s her take complete control. And it has absolutely nothing to do with the thought of the fact that she could so easily crush him to death between her thighs at any given moment if she wishes, that really, **really** turns him on...

Eve gasps softly when she finally slides back into his lap so that his cock slides smoothly up into her eager wet cunt. She’s completely surprised at the feeling of him inside of her, and all around her as he sits up and pulls her close enough so that their chests are pressed together. It's not painful – like her mother always warned could be – but she puts that down to the serum giving her a stronger tolerance to pain.

“You okay?” Bucky whispers, frowns slightly with worry.

“Yeah. Just,” Eve bites her bottom lip and he can’t help tracking the delicious movement with his pupil blown eyes. “Just gimme a sec’.”

“Am I hurting you?” He asks, clearly taking her words the wrong way.

“No.” Eve is quick to reassure him as she squeezes her thighs and slides her arms around his neck. “It feels... Different.”

Bucky's lips quirk slightly at the pretty blush rushing to her cheeks. “Good different?”

Eve smiles brightly and nods before giving him a short but sweet little kiss. “I love you, Sergeant Barnes.”

Bucky chuckles at that – because just how the hell did she already pick up on the fact that it makes him kind of ‘hot under the uniform’ when she calls him that? Sneaky, he thinks, wearing a rather devilish grin.

“I love you, too, Captain America.”

Eve shoots him a withering look, but when he lets out that sweet boyish laugh of his, she can’t help smiling and all is forgiven again.

Although, she can never stay mad at him for too long.

**÷**

Even with his skill and training, Bucky really doesn’t know just how the fuck he manages to escape all of the sudden chaos.

He only went down to the market to buy some fucking plums – because he’s read somewhere that they help with memory loss – and then when he gets back to his apartment, all fucking Hell breaks loose.

But okay, the one good thing in all of this mess was that he got to see her again. With her beautiful blue eyes, full of life and hope, and that lush long blonde hair and those pretty pink pouty lips and those amazing pair of –

He digresses, but the point is, he feels happier for something; that she's still alive, that he was at least able to save her – and he hasn’t felt happy or even content for a very, _very_ long time.

Now, once again, among all the hundreds (literally) of other people looking to lock him up or simply kill him, she appears from out of nowhere to save him from some guy dressed in a fucking cat suit.

Bucky scrambles to his feet as Eve stands protectively in front of him, her shield raised protectively in front of her and he can’t help feeling a lovely warmth spread throughout his chest as she glares defiantly at whoever the hell this guy is.

There’s nowhere to run this time, however, and both Eve and Bucky know it.

But after she stands down, but before they can take Bucky away from her (again) she turns to face him and calmly says, “Promise me you won’t fight them and I promise you, I’ll help you, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

And Bucky really cannot ignore the look of pure pleading in her beautiful blue eyes. He then finds himself nodding without thinking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm well aware that I am a tease...  
> (;


	16. My Name Is Bucky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “My name is Bucky.”

“I can't help you if you don’t talk to me, James.”

He should have sensed something was off about this Zemo guy right from the start. After all, he _is_ a supersoldier, fully equipped with super senses. But to be fair, he was instead, thinking of the millions of ways he could just escape and evade this entire mess altogether.

It’s not what he wanted; all of this chaos. He knew that no matter how badly he wanted to go back and be with her or even just to see her face one more time, he simply couldn’t, because she was still in a spotlight that he didn’t even deserve to be in (with her) anymore.

He looks up at the man, glaring slightly (defiantly) as he says, “My name is Bucky.”

**÷**

“Why would the Task Force even release this photo to begin with?” Eve asks as she tosses the blurry photograph aside.

Something just doesn’t add up here.

And she believes Bucky when he told her that it wasn’t him.

“Get the word out, maybe? As many eyes as we can?” Sharon supplies, looking a little lost.

“Right.” Eve nods, wearing a pointed look. “It’s a good way to flush a guy out of hiding. Set off a bomb, get your picture taken. Get seven billion people looking for The Winter Soldier.”

“You’re saying someone framed him to find him.” Sharon says, finally catching on.

“Eve,” Sam sighs heavily. “We looked for two whole years for the guy and found not even a damn trace.”

“Exactly. He didn’t bomb the U.N, Sam.” Eve says with a defiant scowl. “That kinda thing turns a lot of heads. Why would he do that if he wanted to stay hidden?”

Sam huffs, but keeps his mouth shut.

Okay, so he’s still jealous of this asshole who keeps messing with her heart.

_So what?_

He’s not perfect like _some_ people.

“Yeah, but it still doesn’t guarantee that whoever framed him would actually get to him.” Sharon says with a slightly suspicious look stretched slowly across her brow. “But it does guarantee that **we** would.” She says as she walks over to look at the monitor hooked up the camera watching Bucky and Zemo.

 **÷**  


“ _Longing._ ”

“ _No._ ” Bucky's heart sinks and then races hard and fast at the all too dreadful words.

“ _Rusted._ ” Zemo continues, his Russian perfect despite his thick German accent.

“Stop.”

Because Bucky knows that even if Eve's still in the building, he could cause a lot of damage that he really doesn’t want to cause.

Plus, he really doesn’t want to hurt Eve. Again.

Because he knows she’ll be there to stop him, just like she was before and just like she’s always been there for him.

“ _Seventeen._ ”

Bucky grits his teeth as his metal arm is the first part of him to react to the horrid words that make him do horrid things.

“ **Stop!** ” The ex Winter Soldier snarls.

Zemo ignores him, continues, “ _Daybreak._ ”

**÷**

“Get up!!” Eve snarls, hauling Zemo up roughly. “Who are you!? What’d you want!?”

He simply grins up at her, lips bloody, and looking like the devil himself, he says, “To see an empire fall.”

It’s all chaos again then as Bucky enters right behind Sam, throwing her friend easily aside and then going straight for her.

Eve leaps in to land a punch to Bucky's face, which he barely even seems to feel and Eve knows that it's not him anymore. At least, not right now.

Bucky lands the next few hits and she easily blocks every one of them, but the force of each is enough to send her backing up until they reach the elevator.

Eve ducks the first punch he lands, his metal fist badly denting the doors. She blocks the next one, her strength more than matching even his metal arm.

“Bucky, snap out of it!” Eve snaps, and in her distraction, he uses the weight of his whole body to push his fist forward and knock her down into the elevator shaft.

Just in time, Sam regains consciousness to see the entire thing and just thinks, “Oh, _shit_.”


	17. It Wasn't You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It wasn’t you.”

Bucky is in some old abandoned warehouse when he finally regains consciousness, his metal arm stuck in a huge industrial vice, keeping him contained, for now. However, he barely registers anything else, but her –

“ _Eve._ ”

He wants to smile, but can’t bring himself to when she turns away from her friend and stares cautiously at him.

“Which Bucky am I talking to right now?” She asks and he notes there is no anger in her voice, only concern.

Bucky gulps down the aching lump in his throat – because he can clearly see that she doesn’t trust him anymore (and he doesn’t blame her) – and says, “Your mother’s name was Sarah.” But he can’t help smiling faintly as he says, “You used to wear newspapers in your shoes.”

Sam sees her expression soften and backs slowly out of the room to give them some privacy, even when he feels his stupid heart break in two.

He’s not an idiot, though. He knows she could never love anyone (let alone him) more than she does Bucky.

And he’s not selfish. He won’t stand in her way. He couldn’t bare to.

“Can’t read **that** in a museum.” Eve says with a hint of a smile.

“Just like that, we're supposed to be cool now?” Comes the echo of Sam's voice from outside.

Because of course he won’t stray too far. Just in case.

Not that she would even need his help, though.

_Damn supersoldiers._

“What did I do this time?” Bucky asks, tired blue eyes filled with horror.

“Enough.” Eve says simply, leaving it at that for now. She needs him calm.

“ _Fuck._ ” Bucky hisses, wanting to smile at her disapproving look. “I knew this would happen. That’s why I tried to stay off the radar. Everything HYDRA put inside my head is still there. All Zemo had to do was say those God damn words.”

“Do you know who he is?” Eve asks.

Bucky shakes his head, “No, not really.”

Eve doesn’t have time for patience right now and scowls as she says, “Bucky, people are dead. Again. The bombing, the set up – the doctor did all that just to get a lousy ten minutes with you and I wanna know why, so you’re gonna have to do a little better than just, _'no, not really.'_ ”

Bucky sighs heavily before explaining, “He wanted to know about Siberia. Where I was kept, the exact location.”

“Why?” Eve asks as she takes a few steps so that she’s standing right in front of him, while Sam looks on uneasily in the doorway now.

And with dread in his eyes, Bucky says, “Because I’m not the only Winter Soldier.”

“Well, that’s just great.” Sam scoffs.

Bucky scowls a little, already having noticed the way this man – whoever he is – looks at _his_ Eve.

Even if she isn’t really his anymore.

He knows he doesn’t even really deserve to be alive after all the horrid things he’s done, let alone deserve to be happy with her.

“Who are they?” Eve asks once Bucky explains his encounters with the other Winter Soldiers.

One thing is clear – that Bucky was just a prototype, the first of his kind and apparently the least dangerous.

“Their most elite squad.” Bucky says, “More kills than anyone in HYDRA history. And that was before they took the serum.”

“Did they _all_ turn out like you?” Sam asks and Eve feels slightly guilty for smirking at his sassy tone.

“Worse, actually.” Bucky says, shooting him a look right back.

Eve rolls her eyes at them both.

Sam simply ignores him.

“Could the doctor control them?” Eve asks.

“Enough.” Buck shrugs.

“Said he wanted to see an empire fall.” Eve says with a glare of determination.

“With these guys, he could do it.” Bucky nods. “They speak over thirty languages, can hide in plain sight, infiltrate, assassinate, destabilize. They could take an entire country down in one night. And you'd never even see ‘em coming.”

Sam huffs as he steps over to Eve. “This would have been a lot easier a week ago.”

“We could call Tony.” Eve suggests.

“You really think he'd believe us?” Sam arches a brow, doesn’t look very convinced.

“Even if he did...” Eve nods in agreement.

No, Tony would never believe them.

Eve blames his ginormous ego.

“Who knows if the Accords would even let him help.” Sam says.

Eve nods. “We're on our own then.”

“Maybe not.” Sam smirks as he says, “I may know a guy.” He shuffles back out of the room. “I’ll be back in an hour, tops.”

“We'll be waiting.” Eve smiles brightly as he saunters off.

“So,” Bucky clears his throat after a moment of silence. “He seems... Nice.”

Eve fights the urge to roll her eyes and simply nods as she says, “Yeah, he is.”

Bucky nods and he swears he tries not to pry, he really does, but he also really can’t help himself. “You two... Together?”

This time, Eve does roll her eyes as she answers, “No, we're not.”

“Huh.” Bucky simply nods.

“What?” Eve asks with a slight scowl.

“No, nothin’.” Bucky shrugs again.

Eve shoots him a withering look, however.

Bucky huffs – because he never could keep things from her – and says rather casually, “Just seems like he’s pretty sweet on you, is all.”

“What? Sam?” Now Eve is just confused. “No. We're just good friends.”

Bucky scoffs at that, but also can’t help smiling slightly as he says, “You always were oblivious.”

“I'm not oblivious.” Eve scoffs right back. “I’m very tactful and intuitive, it’s all in the serum.”

Bucky's smile widens at her rather snooty tone. “True, but it don’t exactly transpire to your social skills.”

Eve glares at him as she says, “I think I liked it better when you just beat the crap outta me. I don’t remember you being this annoying.”

Bucky wants to laugh at that last part, but the first part strikes a chord with him that he doesn’t like. At all.

Eve notices the change in his expression and wonders if she’s the cause of it and immediately feels guilty for it anyway. “What?”

Bucky gulps down that aching lump again, looks her in the eyes and with his voice barely above a quivering whisper, he says, “ _I'm sorry._ ”

Eve sighs heavily at his sad expression and kneels down in front of him. “Bucky,”

Her warm hand on his cheek is a shock to his system – being without that kind of loving touch for so fucking long – that he can’t help leaning into it and closing his eyes to savour the feeling in case he never feels it again.

And Eve wants him to believe her as she says, “It wasn’t you.”


	18. You Were Meant To

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You were meant to.”

Sharon can’t help smirking with amusement as she says, “I'm not sure you understand the concept of a getaway car.”

Eve glances over her shoulder at the rather shabby vehicle. “Can’t get no more low profile than that.”

“Good.” Sharon nods as she walks over to her own car and pops the trunk. “’Cause this kinda stuff tends to draw in a crowd.” She motions down to Eve and Sam's gear.

Meanwhile, back in their crappy getaway car, Bucky glares at the back of Sam's head as he politely (begrudgingly) asks, “Can you move your seat up?”

_Because why the fuck does **he** have the be the one riding in the backseat!?_

But without pause, Sam simply grumbles a, “No.”

And Bucky can only really glare at him some more as he mumbles, “Ass.”

“I heard that.” Sam glares back at him through the mirror, still not even bothering to turn around.

“You were meant to.” Bucky says with a small smirk.

Sam merely rolls his eyes and goes back to ignoring him. _What a dick_ , he thinks.

“I owe you. Again.” Eve says with a bright smile towards the other blonde.

“I'm keeping a list, don’t worry.” Sharon says, looking light hearted until she glances towards the ex Winter Soldier. “You know he tried to kill me, right? And pretty much all your other friends, too. He even tried to kill you.”

Bucky can hear every word, unlike Sam and he listens closely to Eve's response as the guilt begins to eat away at him again.

“Yeah.” Eve nods, is sincere when she says, “I'm sorry about that. I’ll put it on my list.” She smiles lightly. “You know they’re gonna come looking for you now.”

Sharon smiles at the ever concerned look on the gorgeous Captain's face. “I know.”

“Thank you, Sharon. Really.” Eve smiles back as she takes the gear from the trunk and holds it under her arm.

Sharon doesn’t fight it any longer because she doesn’t know when they will meet again and she also knows that Eve's heart belongs to Bucky (because who doesn’t know that?) She reaches forward and places a quick, but sweet kiss to the Captain's lips.

Both Bucky and Sam react quicker, Bucky smirking and Sam staring wide eyed.

Eve blinks, then finally pulls words from, somewhere. “Um...” Well, kind of.

Sharon blushes. “I just had to do that once. I’m sorry if I overstepped.”

“No, um... It’s fine. I’m just... Surprised?” Eve shoots her a slightly confused look. “You never said anything.”

“There’s nothing to say. Don’t worry about it. It’s just a silly, little crush.” Sharon smiles, doesn’t mention anything else because she’s not stupid, she knows Bucky can hear them and she doesn’t want to make things awkward for Eve.

Eve still looks confused, but Sharon gives her a quick hug before making some lame excuse to leave for work.

After Sharon drives off, Eve slides back into the driver's seat and almost rolls her eyes at the prediction. Though, she thought it would be Bucky who spoke.

“Eve, is there something you wanna tell me?” Sam asks way too innocently for her liking.

Eve shoots him a withering look. “I don’t find women sexually attractive, if that’s what you're asking.”

“Okay.” Sam nods. “I was just wondering.”

“Of course you were. You’re a human male.” Eve bites back with both sarcasm and condescension.

Bucky can’t help laughing at that. _She always did have a comeback for everything_ , he thinks fondly.

He’s remembered more in the last couple of days of being around her than he has in the last two years since he was finally set free.

“ _Ouch._ ” Sam hisses, clutching his chest with one hand, though he can’t help grinning.

“Here’s your stuff, Birdman.” Eve grins with amusement as she hands over his gear.

“It's Falcon and you **know** it.” Sam grumbles, glaring at her as he takes the bag from her.

“Hold this.” Eve hauls her shield over the backseat before Bucky even has a chance to answer.

Instead, he glares at her briefly before taking keen interest in the weapon, remembering how much it has really changed since the 40's.

“Where to next?” Sam asks as he takes her bag from her and places them both on the floor and on his lap.

“Gotta catch up with Clint and Wanda.” Eve says as she finally starts up the old banger of a car.


	19. Brooklyn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Brooklyn.”

Bucky knows that this isn’t all just about him anymore. Even if Eve hadn't already assured him, he knew this was about choosing a side. And for some (T'Challa) it was personal, but even now, Bucky still doesn’t really know where his place is in all of this. Well, apart from behind bars, of course.

In the madness, he gets separated from Eve and somehow ends up beside Sam instead.

“What the hell is _that_?” Bucky stares up at the giant Ant-Man as the two of them run through the shutdown airport.

“Everyone’s got a gimmick now.” Sam huffs just as something crashes through the window and straight into him. He yells in dismay as he goes flying sideways, crashing into more glass.

As the rather small figure lands gracefully in front of him, Bucky immediately throws a punch with his “good arm” and is just as immediately shocked at the boy's matching strength.

“You have a metal arm? That is **so** awesome, dude!” Peter chimes gleefully. Honestly, he’s just happy to be here.

Having been the first time he’s gained this kind of reaction to his arm, Bucky is slightly stunned for a moment, but thankfully, Sam finally swoops in to save his (distracted) ass.

Bucky collects himself just in time then to see Sam flying around in his Falcon suit with the spider kid on top of him, the two fighting mid-air.

When Sam finally manages to swing Peter off of him, Bucky grabs the nearest thing – a metal pole – and throws it at the spider kid.

“Oh, God!” Peter gasps, but much to Bucky’s annoyance, the kid manages to catch it with ease. “Hey, buddy, I think you dropped this!” He yells, sounding more cocky now.

Bucky's eyes widen as the spider throws it back at him and just barely manages to take cover behind a nearby podium. _Lil’ bastard, I'll get you_ , he thinks with a glare.

Bucky rolls his eyes as he listens to Sam and the little spider all but flirt with one another, but finally has to jump in the way, taking the hit for Sam.

He knows Eve would kill him if he let Sam die on his watch, not to mention the twenty foot drop that would have surely broken something.

Instead, they both go crashing down to the ground level, Bucky groaning loudly as he cushions Sam.

Sam groans louder as he rolls off of the supersoldier. And now he hates him even more, God damn it.

Why'd he have to save his life!?

“Guys,” Peter perches over them from the top floor. “I'd love to stay and keep this up, but I’ve only got one chance here today to impress Mr. Stark and –“

Meanwhile, Sam ignores the little shit, his hand slowly reaching for his wrist and –

“Ahhh!”

Finally, one the little spider goes flying out of the building, attached to one of Sam's drones.

Bucky slowly turns his head to face the Falcon and with a glare, he asks, “You couldn’t have done that earlier?”

Sam slowly turns his head to face The ex Winter Soldier and with a rather vacant look on his face, he calmly states, “I hate you.”

**÷**

“You got heart, kid.” Eve says as watches the spider boy holding up entire gangway and she can’t help feeling impressed. “Where you from?”

“Queens. And you, Captain?” Peter says, though his voice is only slightly strained.

Eve's smile widens and thinking of Bucky, she replies, “Brooklyn.”


	20. The Only One For Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I only went out with them to make you jealous and because I was too much of a wuss to tell ya that you were the only one for me.”

With the quintjet in autopilot for the moment, Eve smiles fondly to herself as she asks, “Do you remember the ride from Rockaway Beach in the back of that freezer truck?”

Bucky can’t help smiling in his seat beside her, because, yes, he thinks he remembers that. “That the time we used our train money to buy hotdogs?”

Eve was real jealous at the time, but now she just feels nostalgic as she says, “Yeah. And you blew your last three bucks on that real purdy redhead.”

“Oh, yeah.” Bucky chuckles. “What was her name again?” 

Eve rolls her eyes, but replies, “Dolores. But you called her Dot.”

Bucky nods, smirking lightly.

Eve scalds him as she says, “You're were so rude, Buck. You never remembered any of their names.”

“I didn’t have to.” Bucky says, then shooting her a meaningful look as he says, “I only went out with them to make you jealous and because I was too much of a wuss to tell ya that you were the only one for me.”

And, oh – **_oh!_**

Eve certainly wasn’t expecting that answer, even if he hadn’t been through over seventy years of brainwashing and torture.

Bucky gulps silently, turning his head away from her to hide his embarrassment. He clears his throat as he adds, “And the bear was for you, but she took it before I could even get my hands on it.”

Eve quietly clears her throat, nodding as she says, “I remember.”

“I'm sorry.” Bucky says – well, grumbles miserably after a moment of silence.

Eve's head snaps to face him. “What?” She asks, now positively confused.

Bucky huffs, rather childishly so – and Eve would smile any other time – and says, “I'm sorry. Clearly, I made you uncomfortable.”

“What?” Eve blinks. Because – what?

Bucky can’t help smirking slightly with amusement. “Did I break you or somethin’, Rogers?”

Eve finally pulls words out of her stupid mouth, “You didn’t make me uncomfortable, Buck.” She says, expression softening. “I was just surprised by how much you remember already.” She gives him an encouraging smile as she adds, “You’re healing fast and that’s good.”

Bucky nods, gulps down the aching lump as he says, “I remembered you. I kept remembering you. That’s why they messed with my head so badly. I could never forget you.”

Eve tries not to grit her teeth as she says, “Yeah, Rumlow told me.”

Bucky snarls quietly in disgust at the mention of that name. “He was my last handler. Got to beat the shit outta me on a regular basis ‘cause he knew I couldn’t do nothing about it.”

Eve does grit her teeth this time as she says, “Damn, I should've beat the crap outta him a little more when I had the chance.”

“You beat his ass?” Bucky smirks at that.

Eve smiles proudly and nods. “Twice. And the first time, I threw him through a ceiling.”

Bucky puffs out a laugh at that, shaking his head. Because damn, he really did miss his girl. His Eve.


	21. All I've Got

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “He’s all I’ve got left. All I’ve ever really had.”

Bucky has no words, because there simply aren’t any this time.

He murdered Howard and he knows that’s what (selfishly) hurts the most; is that he murdered his once good friend, in cold blood (even if he **was** brainwashed at the time.) And he can never take that back. Not even for her.

“I didn’t know it was him.” Eve says without missing a beat.

And Bucky should feel grateful for that, but he doesn't. Especially not when it causes such chaos. He doesn’t think he’s worth it, no matter what Eve says, bless her sweet soul.

And Tony sees right through her, because Nat really wasn’t joking when she said Eve is a bad liar, it’s just not in her nature.

“Don’t fucking bullshit me, Rogers!” Tony snaps, now shaking with anger as he glares at her, his face the only part of him showing from inside that infamous suit. “Did you **know**!?”

Eve let’s out a sigh of defeat and nods, “Yes.” And when Bucky finally tries to open his mouth to speak, she scowls at him and says, “Get out of here. **Now**.”

But Bucky is not going to do that. Not even if it’s the last thing he does, it’s just not happening. He wouldn’t leave her even if she was already fucking dead.

Tony glares at her.

“Please, Tony,” And Eve really doesn’t care how pathetic she either sounds nor looks as she blatantly pleads with her friend, “It wasn’t really him. Bucky's a good guy, like us.” She ignores Tony's snort of derision and snaps at him with, “HYDRA had control of his damned mind!”

Tony’s beyond caring as he shuts the helmet of his suit and raises his hand, aiming in Barnes’ direction. “Move.” He says, then snaps, “ **Now!** ”

But Eve stands ever defiantly in front of him and this time Bucky really can’t help feeling grateful and... Loved.

**÷**

****

****

**:FLASHBACK:**

“Holy fuck, Eve, I think you broke me.” Bucky huffs, though feels utterly delighted and completely content, not to mention deliciously sated as tumbles back onto the bed.

Eve's eyes widen in horror. “I did? Crap, I knew this was a bad idea! I –“

“Eve,” Bucky chuckles and grabs her by the waist when she tries to slip off of his lap. “It was just a joke.”

Eve shoots him a withering look, nodding as she says, “Oh, I see. Getting me back for earlier, huh?”

Bucky grins that sweet boyish grin she loves so much as he replies, “You should expect nothing less.”

“I don’t.” Eve grins back cheekily. “Especially not from **you**.”

“That hurts, princess.”

“I bet.” Eve chuckles at his silly pout.

Bucky suddenly gets a fond look on his face as he slowly sits up and pulls her close. “I love you.”

Eve smiles down at him and presses a sweet kiss to his lips, “I love you, too, jerk.”

**÷**

Eve’s beaten up pretty badly, not as bad as Tony and nowhere near as bad as Bucky, who, once again, has lost his left arm when he jumped into save her – like the idiot that he is, Eve briefly thinks.

“Tony... Please...” Eve begs him one last time. “He’s all I’ve got left. All I’ve ever really had.”

And even over his moans of pain, Bucky can still hear her words and even in this moment, they fill him with a joy he hasn’t known for decades.

And even after everything, Tony doesn’t know why he’s still surprised when she drops the shield and carries Barnes away with her.


	22. Don't Say You're Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Don’t say you’re sorry.”

_‘To my dear friend, Tony,_

__

_I’m real glad that you’re back at the compound. I don’t really like the idea of you rattling around your mansion by yourself – no doubt with a drink in one hand._

____

_Because we all need a family. And the Avengers are your family, more so than they are mine anymore._

_____ _

_I may have started all of this as the first Avenger, but I couldn’t have done that without Peggy and your father. And I think it’s about time you take the front seat._

______ _ _

_Me? I’ve been on my own with Bucky, since I was 18. I’ve never really fit in anywhere, to be honest. Not even when I was in the army._

_______ _ _ _

_My faith is in people, really... I guess anyway._

________ _ _ _ _

_Individuals..._

_________ _ _ _ _ _

_And I’m happy to say that for the most part, they haven’t let me down..._

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Locks can be replaced. But maybe they shouldn’t be..._

___________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_I know I hurt you, Tony. And I really am sorry for that. It was never my intention. You are and always will be one of my very best friends._

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_But I guess – stupidly – I thought that by not telling you about your parents, I was somehow sparing you the pain. But really, I was only – selfishly – sparing myself._

_____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_And I’m really sorry for that, too._

______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Hopefully, one day, you can understand._

_______________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_I wish we could agree on the Accords, I really do._

________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_I know that you’re doing what you believe in. And that’s all any of us can do. It’s what we all should do._

_________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_So, no matter what happens, if you need us – if you need me – I’ll be there._

__________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Yours,_

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_Eve.’_

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**÷**

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Bucky smiles when Eve enters the room just as the nurse patches up the last of his wounds.

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Eve smiles back, gives the nurse a curt nod as she leaves them alone and walks over to him. “Stupid question, but; how’re you feelin’?”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Can’t really complain.” Bucky shrugs, then adds with a small grin, “I mean the King himself gave me a penthouse all to myself. I think he’s still feelin’ bad for trying to kill me.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Eve smiles lightly with amusement, but he can clearly see her gazing at his left bandaged shoulder with deep concern.

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Don’t.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Eve shoots him a confused look, but he replies even before she can open her mouth.

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Don’t say you’re sorry.” Bucky says. “’Cause it’s not your fault. None of this is your fault, Eve.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Eve wonders why she still feels the guilt, then, when she really does believe his words. “If I’d had just done my job properly and saved you the first time, none of this would even be happening.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No.” Bucky says, then shoots her a pointed look as he says, “But I also wouldn’t be standing here with you now. I'd have died from old age, just like Peggy. And Howard, if I hadn’t of killed him.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Eve shoots him a withering look at the clear look of guilt on his face. “That wasn’t your fault. And I hate you for being right.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Bucky manages a small smile when she pouts so prettily.

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Eve huffs. “You gonna be okay?”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Y'mean, am I ready for more doctors to go poking around in my head? No.” Bucky answers honestly, because he is a little bit afraid and he knows she knows that, too. “But I’m willing to do anything to get these God damned words outta my head. Well,” He smiles lightly. “Anything that doesn’t involve you getting hurt again.”

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

And really now, how can Eve's heart not just ache at those words?

___________________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	23. Bucky Needs Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I gotta go. I, uh, Bucky needs me, so...”

“Christ! That’s the fifth time in the last fucking hour!” Tony grumbles as he rummages around his pockets for his vibrating phone. “Hello!?” He snaps, finally finding it and answering.

“Hello, Tony.” The voice is light, sounds rather happy, much to his annoyance.

Tony’s eyes darken and his entire body stiffens. “How'd you get this number?” He hisses, eyes narrowing as he grips the phone tighter.

Eve wants to laugh at his snooty tone – as if she’s insulted him by being intelligent enough – but decides against it. “You know me.” She simply chirps, trying to keep the mood light.

Tony scoffs at that. “Ah, well, y'know, I **thought** I did.” He hears her heavy sigh as he continues to glare into the space of his bedroom.

“You’re still angry. I understand.”

Tony grits his teeth in anger even when he says, “I’m not angry.” He huffs. “Not anymore.”

“I’m sorry that I hurt you. You have to know I would never do that intentionally.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know that. I’m not a **total** asshole, y'know.” Tony huffs as he flops back down onto his bed.

Eve chuckles lightly at that. “I know.”

Tony is just pissed because out of the two of them, he knows she’s the most noble or whatever and knows he would have done the same if it were he and Rhodey.

As if reading his mind, Eve clears her throat and carefully asks, “How is James?”

Tony sighs loudly, rubs a hand over his scruffy face and tired eyes. “He’s walking again. He still won’t be flying around anytime soon, but it’s a big improvement.”

“It is.” Eve agrees and Tony wants to smirk because he can just imagine her stupid perfect face smiling politely back at him. “And it’s only been eleven months. He’s in good hands.”

Tony nods stupidly then mentally scalds himself as he simply replies with a, “Yeah.”

“It's good to finally hear your voice, Tony. I do miss you.”

Tony gulps back the hurt and instead moves the conversation along. “Speaking of recoveries – how's Barnes doing?”

Eve pauses before asking, “Do you really care about that?”

Tony notes there’s no malice whatsoever in her voice, just confusion and (understandable) caution. He rolls his eyes and glares to himself as he grumbles out a, “No. Not really.” He huffs. “I was just, y'know.”

“I know.” Eve says and he can hear the smile in her tone.

Tony hears what sounds like Sam's muffled voice in the background and then Eve is bidding him goodbye.

“I gotta go. I, uh, Bucky needs me, so...”

Tony hears the awkwardness and decides to seek mercy on her instead. “It's fine. Talk soon.” He hangs up before she can say another word and he can change his mind by just being the dick he always is.

**÷**

In his rather large and lavish bedroom in his equally large and lavish apartment, Bucky glares at his reflection in the full length mirror. He wears his black jogging pants, but his top half is bare, his metal limb - or more accurately, where his metal arm once was but now all is left is that metal shoulder of his and an ugly stump rapped in clean white bandages - on complete display. And _that_ is what he glares at.

At some point, Nat manages to sneak into the ex Winter Soldier's apartment unnoticed by said soldier, and she really cannot help the smug smirk that crawls onto her pretty lips when he finally sees her reflection and jumps. Though, only very slightly, Nat still counts it as a win for her prowess as an ex assassin herself. Especially against a Winter Soldier.

Bucky glares at her reflection before turning around to glare at her personally. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”

“Why not? That was funny.” Nat says, smirks again as she adds, “And not just because you’re an ex assassin, but also because you’re a dude.”

Bucky doesn’t look impressed, in fact, looks slightly annoyed by her mere presence. “What’re you doing here? Where’s Eve? I thought she was coming over. She got you running around as her little messenger?" He scoffs, smirking slightly. “That's pretty cute.”

Nat scoffs loudly and cannot keep the grin off of her face as she asks, “You know what _I_ think is pretty cute?”

“Please, enlighten me.” Bucky mumbles with a roll of his eyes.

“How hopelessly in love you are with Eve. It’s actually kind of pathetic sometimes; how you always stare at her and whatnot.” Nat grins wider when he glares at her once more. “Hey, I’m not judging you. I think it’s great. I’m actually in love, too.”

“What, with the big, green guy?” Bucky chuckles lightly. “I bet he’s great in bed.”

Nat glares at him this time. “What'd **you** know about it!?” She snaps.

“Whoa.” Bucky holds up his hands in surrender just as he hears his front door open and close, followed by familiar footsteps.

“What’s going on? I heard shouting.” As ever, Eve looks worried for her friends, and just wants to help and Bucky thinks he probably falls in love with her a little more every fucking time he merely sees her.

“Nothing.” Nat huffs before storming out of the apartment without another word.

Bucky stares after her, slightly wide eyed about the entire odd encounter. He's never seen Natalia snap her cool and collected exterior before.

Well, once. When he was a Winter Soldier (the first of many that thankfully never got to do too much damage, weirdly thanks to Zemo killing them all) and almost killed her along with his mark.

But he's never seen her snap on an emotional level, like that.

Eve stares after the redhead in confusion until she hears the door slam. She arches a brow and then turns to face Bucky. “What was **that** all about?”

“I have no idea.” Bucky says and she believes him because he looks just as confused as she does and also maybe a little stunned.

Eve understands he’s still mentally fragile and decides not to grill him about it. Instead, she asks, “Well, what were you talking about?”

Bucky blushes lightly, remembering Nat's teasing, and mentally scalds himself. “Um, not much.”

Eve arches her brows, as if to say, “Gonna need a little more than that, buddy.”

Bucky huffs lightly before answering, “Uh, she just mentioned her boyfriend; the big, green guy, and I just made a little joke...”

Eve now eyes him suspiciously and he easily cracks.

“It **may** have an inappropriate joke...”

Eve rolls her eyes and sighs loudly, positively looks as if the world is ending. Again. “Bruce hasn’t been in contact for over a year now. She’s taking it pretty hard.”

Bucky groans loudly. “Thanks for telling me.”

“Sorry. I know I should have,” Eve nods, as if taking the blame, because that’s just what she does as far as Bucky's concerned and it kind of annoys him sometimes, even after all these years.

“But I’ve kinda been otherwise occupied with more important things. No offence to Nat.”

And Bucky thinks he could probably melt at that soft smile she gives him. The one she always gives him and he swears, she saves just for him.


	24. Our Very Own Captain Rogers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Our very own Captain Rogers?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little note: Everything that happens in this story after Civil War is completely my own creation and all happens before Infinity War, because obviously we are all waiting for it.

“Hey now, be careful. There’s no need to rush. We’ve got all weekend to get drunk.” Tony watches his best friend with a careful gaze, his hands itching at his sides.

“I got it.” Rhodey grunts as he plops carefully down onto the couch.

“I just don’t want you overdoing it, that’s all.” Tony says as he goes over to one of his many mini bars stashed around his lavish home.

“Will you stop? You’re worse than my mother.” Rhodey huffs as he places his crutches on the floor at his feet.

“Who is a very smart woman. You should listen to her.” Tony tells him as he walks back over and hands over one of the glasses of whiskey. “Wait – you're not still on any pain medication, are you?” He eyes his friend suspiciously.

Rhodey rolls his eyes, but can’t help smiling fondly at his friend (ridiculously) mothering him. “No, you ass. I’m not completely irresponsible like **some** people.” He scoffs out a chuckle when Tony openly pretends not to see the pointed look he’s given.

“Mm,” Tony hums around a mouthful of whiskey before swallowing and continuing with, “You'll never guess who called me two days ago.”

“Was it, by any chance,” Rhodey pauses on purpose for mock dramatic affect but also to take a large sip of his own whiskey, not wanting to be left behind by staying sober. “Our very own Captain Rogers?”

“What?” Tony looks surprised and a little annoyed at having his thunder stolen for a moment. “Yeah.” He sulks as he asks, “How did you know? Got a tap on my phones?”

Rhodey scoffs. “Don’t flatter yourself. I already know all of your dirty little secrets.” He adds that last part with a smirk before finally explaining himself, “You called me a few hours after she called you to tell me that she called you, you fucking alcoholic.”

“I did?” Tony blinks, face slightly blank. “Boy, I do not remember that, at all... Shit, I have a problem.”

Rhodey laughs as he takes another sip. “Ya think?”

“I didn't... Say anything too weird, right?” Tony asks rather timidly.

“Say? No. But after you ranted about how Bucky was still an asshole and that Eve needed to ditch his ass – like we're all still in high school or something – you **did** send me a video of you breaking open a lava lamp and drinking the contents.”

“Oh, _that’s_ what that funny taste was.” Tony mutters to himself.

“Where did you even get a lava lamp?” Rhodey asks, looking confused.

“I’m sorry, **that’s** your problem? Not, _‘oh my God, Tony! Are you okay?’_ ”

“Ah, you’re always okay.” Rhodey waves him off.

Tony glares at him. “Get out.”

Rhodey shoots him a challenging look. “Oh, you wanna carry back down to the lobby? Be my guest.”

Tony stares blankly at his so called best friend for a moment before huffing out a defeated, “I hate you.”

“Love you, too, Stark.” Rhodey gulps back the rest of his whiskey before holding out his empty glass. “Now, be a good host and get me another drink, white boy.”

And Tony's sense of humour always shines through the brightest in any situation because he has to hide his smirk as he snatches the glass and stands up.

“So what’s the deal with you and Eve anyway? You still not talking to her?”

Tony waits until he’s seated back in front of him with a new drink each in hand before answering. “Do you not remember why you had to relearn how to walk?”

Rhodey shoots him a “do not even go there” look.

Tony sighs heavily. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I'm not trying to start a fight just to make myself feel better. You know what I mean.”

Rhodey huffs, letting it go, because he’s knows how this (somehow) loveable asshole is: an emotional retard. “Yeah, I know what you mean. You’re still sulking because Eve chose him over you. That’s what you mean.”

“Did I mention that I hate you already?” Tony deadpans.

“I think so.” Is Rhodey's sarcastic reply as he rolls his eyes and then goes onto say, “Look, I’m not saying any of this mess is right, but you gotta make the best of every situation, something I know you’re excellent at anyway. Eve chose him and why wouldn’t she? Any idiot can see those two are and always have been in love. And you'd do the same for me or for Pepper, wouldn’t you?”

“Of course.” Tony says, though, rather begrudgingly, because he knows he’s right.

“Good. ‘Cause I'd do the same for you. I know it’s not the same, but I have on many occasions put my ass and my job on the line for you.” Rhodey says with a pointed look as he gulps down the rest of his second whiskey.

“Yeah.” Tony manages a light chuckle at that. “And I appreciate it.”

“You fucking better.” Rhodey shoots him a playful glare before holding up his empty glass again. “Go get me another drink and stop sulking like a little bitch, because on Monday morning, you’re calling Eve back. We’re gonna need hers and Sam's help on something.”


	25. Pretty Special

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Yeah, it is pretty special.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a little short. I've just been so busy with boring real life. Ugh.
> 
> Enjoy? Maybe leave a comment and lemme know how you're liking it so far?
> 
> Thanks!

Bucky doesn't really think it’s a good idea, at least not yet, but Eve had insisted that he join her down in the Wakanda markets and in the end, he can never really disagree with her. However, as he watches Eve speaking what little of the language she’s already learned to one of the fruit sellers, he can’t help feeling the peace among the community.

The seller smiles brightly as he utters one of the few phrases he knows in English, “Thank you. Come again.”

Eve smiles brightly and nods as she takes her brown paper bag filled with mangos, bananas, pears (oddly, her favourite) and a few plums for Bucky – because she’s sure she’s read somewhere that they help with memory loss.

“Here, let me.” Bucky doesn't wait for an answer as he takes the bag and holds it for her.

Eve can’t help grinning, eyes lit up with amusement.

Bucky rolls his eyes because, yeah, “I know you’re stronger than me and I may be an ex assassin with only one arm, who was brainwashed for decades by the most evil cult on Earth, but I am still a gentleman.”

Eve scoffs at his rather snooty tone. “Not from what **I** remember.”

It’s Bucky’s turn to scoff as he shoots her a slightly offended look.

Eve only shoots him a pointed look in return.

Bucky crumbles easily, predictably. “Okay,” He huffs, “I may or may not –“

“You may.”

Bucky shoots her a pathetic glare, but Eve only smirks as he crumbles even more. “Okay,” He huffs again, “I **may** have been, on many occasions, a complete asshole when it came to women in general,” He shoots her a meaningful look as he says, “But not to you. I could never do that to you. You know that.”

Eve nods. “I do.”

“So where to next?” Bucky asks, moving the conversation along for himself, to hide his oncoming blush and the probably awkward silence that would have followed.

“You hungry?” Eve asks, arching a brow and Bucky has to bite back a fond smile because he knows that’s her way of saying she’s the one who’s really hungry.

Instead, he nods and replies with, “I am actually.”

“Good.” Eve nods, mostly to herself and this time Bucky can’t help smiling. “Let's go buy some supplies and I’ll cook us up something when we get back to the apartment. How’s that sound?”

“As you go in this strange new world, so goes my nation.” Bucky simply says and Eve can’t help blushing lightly.

She rolls her eyes to hide it, but smiles and nods back all the same. “Good.” She chirps, rather excitedly as she adds, “These days you cook anything any way you want. And God damn, I swear fried bacon is the best thing ever invented.”

Bucky chuckles at that but also can’t help agreeing, “Yeah, it is pretty special.”

Eve doesn’t think as she then takes the bag of fruits back from him, stuffing it under one arm before grabbing his fleshy (his only) hand in her own.

Bucky gulps silently as she laces their fingers, and as she hauls him back through the markets, he feels his heart ache and his thoughts bubble with confusion.

Surely she knows they’re not together – that they could never work – not after all the terrible things he’s done...


	26. Look Passed It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Considering the real bad news that you’d just received, I’m willing to look passed it altogether.”

“We need you.”

He doesn’t say “ **I** need you,” because he’s not quite there yet. It still hurts.

Plus, this is Rhodey's stupid mission, **not** his.

“Okay.”

Tony blinks. Then huffs, annoyed. Mainly at himself, because she’s really not making hating her any easier for him by being her usual wonderfully noble self. He gets that’s a genuine part of her personality, but it still pisses him off.

“ _Okay_? That’s it?” Tony blinks again, huffs again, but before he can say anything else she speaks up first.

“If you really do need me on this mission of yours, then yes, okay. I’m doing this for James, as well. I think it’s the very least I can do for him after everything that’s happened. And the very least I can do for you, too.” Eve explains, her voice soft and caring as usual.

Tony fights the urge to roll his eyes as he mutters, “You don’t have to do that.”

“Do What? The mission?” Eve sounds confused now. “But I thought –“

“No, not the mission. I still need you with me on that. With Vision helping the Bird's Eye and Romanov currently off looking for Brucie, I got literally no muscle to back me up.”

“Then, what –“

Tony sighs heavily as he cuts her off again. He just wants to get it all out in the open now while he still has the balls to. “I talked to Rhodey and... Well, let’s just say he gave me a new perspective on our whole... Situation.”

“Oh?” Eve pipes up after a moment of thoughtful silence.

“What I’m trying to say is that you don’t need to make anything up to me. I understand why you chose him and that was a crappy thing for me to do to you; to make you choose. So for that, I’m sorry.”

Eve breathes out and somehow, he can hear the soft smile in her voice as she says, “Considering the real bad news that you’d just received, I’m willing to look passed it altogether.”

And this time Tony can’t help himself, “Oh my God!” He groans, like he’s so hard done by or something... “Why are you so perfect? When I see you finally, I really am gonna punch you in your stupid perfect teeth.”

Eve can only laugh at that and even there, Tony finds that a challenge.

 _We'll see_ , he thinks slyly.

**÷**

****

****

**:2 DAYS LATER:**

“Oh, FUCK! You broke my fucking hand!”

"I am **so** sorry! It was a reflex, I swear!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No worries.  
> There are flashbacks of the hand breaking.  
> I just like to string you along slowly.  
> ;)


	27. Some Things Never Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Some things never change, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's so short! I'm so effing busy!

As a result of her stupid perfect laugh ringing the challenge his own drunken mind had fabricated at the time and of course due to his “personality defects” as Rhodey so _lovingly_ calls it, Tony doesn’t allow any more moments for thought and as soon as he lays eyes on her for the first time in almost nine months, he pulls his arm back to land a friendly and very gentle punch to Eve’s face.

And okay, she _is_ a supersoldier, but he’s still a gentlemen – no matter what Pepper tells anyone – and would never actually – okay, total lie. The reason he hasn’t seen her for almost nine months is because he couldn’t keep his fists to himself in the first place.

But he digresses.

Well, he would have if **someone** hadn’t have broken his fucking hand!

Without thinking, Eve catches his fist and squeezes probably ( _definitely_ ) a little too hard. However, the second she hears bones cracking, she instantly lets go, initially her eyes wide with shock, especially as Tony then proceeds to scream her apartment down.

“Oh, FUCK! You broke my fucking hand!”

“I am **so** sorry! It was a reflex, I swear!”

Meanwhile, Rhodey hasn’t said a God damn thing because he’s too busy grinning from ear to ear and trying hard not to burst out laughing at the entire scene before him.

“Oh, gosh... Tony,” Eve tries to edge closer as he cradles his now crooked fingers.

Tony’s eyes widen as she reaches out to him. “No! Don’t fucking touch it!”

And Rhodey really can’t help laughing at his best friend's oh-so manly squeal of panic.

“Fuck you, asshole! You’re no help at all!” Tony snaps, glaring murderously at his so called best friend and brother from another mother.

Rhodey only laughs again as he says, “I wasn’t trying to be.” Which only earns him another glare.

“Tony, I just dislocated your finger...” Eve says, wearing a withering look when she realises. “Here, lemme just –“

“NO! Do NOT fucking touch it! NO!” He screams, but it’s already too late.

Eve ignores his pleas and simply grabs his hand and pops his index finger back in place. The great Ironman lets out an unnecessary howl of pain.

“FUCK _meee_!”

Rhodey wrinkles his face in disgust as he says, “No, thanks.”

“Oh, I don’t care if you’re still a cripple,” Tony whines, sending him another glare. “I’m still gonna kick your ass later.”

Rhodey scoffs. “You couldn’t even beat a girl.”

“Hey!” Eve shoots him a clearly joking look of offence to which Rhodey shoots her a teasing smirk in return. “Stop being such a baby. What’s with you?”

“Ah, he’s just feeling sorry for himself cos he’s in the dog house for partying too hard... Again.” Rhodey adds that last word with a pointed look towards Tony.

Eve smirks, clearly amused. “Some things never change, huh?”

Tony scoffs at them both. “Okay, first of all,” He glances pointedly back at Rhodey and says, “I don’t air your dirty laundry. What the hell? Who’s side are you on?”

“ **Pepper's**. _Always_. Cos she’s _always_ right.” Rhodey cuts, smirking when it earns him yet another glare.

“And second of all,” Tony glances to Eve, pretending that he wasn’t _rudely_ interrupted. “If there is ever a competition on who never changes, the winner is definitely the supersoldier who was frozen in time and revived almost a century later.”

Eve doesn’t even have a good comeback for that, because, “You’re not wrong.”

She says it calmly and yet again, Tony is annoyed.

Some things really do never change.

 _Huh_ , he thinks, _that’s oddly comforting_.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.  
> (:


End file.
